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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 298 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 298

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding steps 
that Congress should take to restore democracy and change the way we do 
 politics in the United States by reducing the influence of money and 
corporations and promoting the participation of the people in politics 
                            and government.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2015

Mr. Nolan submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on 
Rules and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding steps 
that Congress should take to restore democracy and change the way we do 
 politics in the United States by reducing the influence of money and 
corporations and promoting the participation of the people in politics 
                            and government.

    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This resolution may be cited as the ``Restore Democracy 
Resolution''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this resolution to express the sense of the 
House of Representatives that Congress should--
            (1) confirm that money is not free speech by making clear 
        that corporations are not people for purposes of the First 
        Amendment right to make campaign contributions;
            (2) clarify its power to set limits on the amount of money 
        that can be spent on a campaign for election for Federal 
        office;
            (3) clarify its power to provide for the public financing 
        of elections;
            (4) limit the campaign advertising season to 60 days before 
        an election and prohibit candidates from soliciting or 
        collecting campaign contributions during legislative sessions;
            (5) protect the constitutional right to vote by expanding 
        online voter registration systems;
            (6) emphasize the need for compact, contiguous 
        Congressional districts that are not gerrymandered to favor an 
        incumbent or political party; and
            (7) restore regular order in the legislative process by 
        requiring bills to go through committee consideration and come 
        to the floor under an open rule.

TITLE I--OVERTURNING CITIZENS UNITED DECISION AND CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

SEC. 101. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED DECISION 
              AND CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP FOR PURPOSES OF POLITICAL 
              ACTIVITY.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that, in order to 
overturn the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Citizens 
United v. Federal Election Commission (558 U.S. 310), Congress should 
enact and the States should ratify a constitutional amendment providing 
that any right of a corporation, other business organization, or other 
artificial entity to engage in political activity, including the making 
of contributions and expenditures for the purpose of influencing an 
election for public office or a ballot measure, is not derived from the 
first amendment but from the laws of the United States and the States, 
and may be exercised only to the extent provided by such laws.

   TITLE II--FULL DISCLOSURE AND REDUCING THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY IN 
                                POLITICS

SEC. 201. FULL DISCLOSURE AND REDUCING THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY IN 
              POLITICS.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
            (1) the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election 
        Commission (558 U.S. 310) opened the door to the corrupting 
        influence of money in politics;
            (2) in order to restore the American people's faith in the 
        integrity of their elected government, Congress should have the 
        power to regulate the raising and spending of money and in-kind 
        equivalents with respect to Federal elections, including 
        through regulating--
                    (A) the amount of contributions to candidates for 
                nomination or election to Federal office,
                    (B) the amount of expenditures that may be made by, 
                in support of, or in opposition to such candidates, and
                    (C) the content and integrity of such expenditures; 
                and
            (3) all political contributions should be publicly 
        disclosed, including those made to or by independent groups, so 
        that voters have complete information about who is paying for 
        political advertisements.

 TITLE III--PROVIDING FOR SMALL DONOR AND PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS

SEC. 301. PROVIDING FOR SMALL DONOR AND PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that, in order to 
eliminate the undue influence of money in politics--
            (1) Congress should create a small donor and public finance 
        system for Congressional elections, which will ensure that 
        Congress is responsible to voters instead of well-financed 
        special interests; and
            (2) Members of Congress should devote their full time to 
        regular order and governing instead of campaign fundraising.

                 TITLE IV--LIMITING THE CAMPAIGN SEASON

SEC. 401. LIMITING THE CAMPAIGN SEASON.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
            (1) Congress should have the power to implement and enforce 
        limits on when money can be spent on campaign activities;
            (2) registered candidates for Congressional elections 
        should not be allowed to expend campaign funds on advertising 
        more than 60 days before a primary or general election;
            (3) candidates for Congressional office, both incumbents 
        and challengers, should not be allowed to solicit or collect 
        campaign contributions during the hours in which Congress is in 
        session; and
            (4) States should create a single Congressional primary 
        date to increase voter education and participation.

                 TITLE V--PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE

SEC. 501. PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
            (1) Congress has the power to prohibit voter suppression 
        activities;
            (2) in order to increase voter access and participation, 
        Congress should require every State to create and maintain an 
        online voter registration system; and
            (3) Congress should make Election Day a legal public 
        holiday.

    TITLE VI--ELIMINATING PARTISAN REDISTRICTING AND GERRYMANDERING

SEC. 601. ELIMINATING PARTISAN REDISTRICTING AND GERRYMANDERING.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
            (1) Congress should establish a Federal reapportionment 
        system that would create compact and contiguous Congressional 
        districts that, to the greatest extent possible, follow 
        geographic boundaries and county lines;
            (2) Congressional districts should not favor or disfavor an 
        incumbent or political party;
            (3) Congressional districts should adhere to the existing 
        standards of equal population; and
            (4) the highest court of each State should have the power 
        to reject Congressional district maps that do not meet the 
        above criteria.

         TITLE VII--REQUIRING REGULAR ORDER IN HOUSE AND SENATE

SEC. 701. REQUIRING REGULAR ORDER IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
            (1) it should not be in order to consider a bill or 
        resolution in the House unless each committee to which the bill 
        or resolution is referred--
                    (A) had a hearing on the bill or resolution at 
                which amendments were permitted to be offered and 
                debated and a vote was taken on each amendment offered 
                and on final passage, and
                    (B) filed a report with respect to the bill or 
                resolution;
            (2) a conference report should not be filed in the House 
        unless--
                    (A) the conference committee held at least 3 
                meetings in which all members of the conference 
                committee were allowed to be present,
                    (B) all items of difference between the House and 
                Senate were addressed, voted on, and resolved by the 
                full conference committee membership, and
                    (C) printed or electronic copies of the conference 
                report and the accompanying joint explanatory statement 
                were available to Members and Delegates for at least 48 
                hours prior to filing;
            (3) the House and Senate should schedule simultaneous 5-day 
        work weeks in Washington and district work periods; and
            (4) every bill brought to committee should be open to 
        amendment and every bill brought to the floor of the House for 
        a vote should be considered under an open rule.
                                 <all>
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